This invention relates to a video simulation apparatus operated by one or more persons seated in a simulated cockpit of an airplane or other transportation device and which provides steering and response to computer generated pictures displayed on the screen of the video monitor, positioned at the front of the cockpit. The video simulator contains a computer which displays pictures via the monitor of flight or other transportation situations or the like. In response to the person steering to control the video simulator, the video simulator can simultaneously rotate 360.degree. in the directions of pitch, roll, and yaw in addition to ascent and descent, to provide a sense of realism to the occupants.
The terms pitch, roll and yaw are aviation terms which will be used to describe the rotational directions of the video simulation apparatus. These terms are defined hereinbelow.
These movements can further be classified as being made about one or more of three axes of rotation. These axes are called longitudinal, normal (sometimes referred to as the vertical axis) and lateral. For the purpose of describing the rotational movement of the video simulator, the longitudinal axis runs through the center of the simulator's cockpit sphere in the direction fore and aft relative to the seating. The normal or vertical axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and extends in a vertical direction when the simulator is in the level flight mode; the lateral axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and runs starboard and port of the seating within the cockpit. Thus, both the longitudinal lateral axes are referenced to the cockpit seating although both of these axes will change position as the cockpit seat moves. The normal or vertical axis remains affixed regardless of the cockpit seat location.
A turning maneuver rotates the simulator about the normal axis and results in rotation in the yaw direction. The simulation of climbing and diving produces rotational movement around the lateral axis which is also referred to as the pitch axis. Banking left or right rotates the simulator about the longitudinal or roll axis.
The present invention has the ability to create realism to the video simulator machine via the 360.degree. rotational movements of pitch, roll and yaw in addition to vertical ascent and descent. A monitor is positioned at the front of the cockpit and steering devices operated by one or more persons in response to pictures displayed on the screen of the monitor, in which the cockpit is rotated in any of the pitch, roll and yaw movements, as well as ascent and descent movements, in response to the movements of the steering devices or computer interaction. This invention has measures to ensure the safety of the persons and the surrounding environment.